Newcastle United are catching national attention again as they lead the Championship – and BBC’s Football Focus discussed the Magpies’ great start to the season.

Matt Ritchie was interviewed on the Millennium Bridge by Mark Clemmit and said that Rafa Benitez was helping him to improve as a player. And then the conversation moved to the studio, where the always-interesting pundit Jermaine Jenas gave his opinion about his former club’s renaissance.

Jermaine Jenas on what Rafa Benitez brings:

When you’re top of the league and things are going great you buy into whatever he’s doing.

He’s so experienced, Benitez. Those players in that dressing room: it’s a privilege for them to be managed by him. He’s won European Cups, he’s been at the top of the Premier League and in Europe. For him to come down a division is a massive signal to those players to say ‘Right’. It will have given them a lot of confidence on the first day of the season.

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Jenas on the fans:

When you’re winning up there, the momentum they give you week in, week out is like giving you an extra player.

He also joked: (Ritchie) wouldn’t have been on the bridge last year - they’d have chucked him off!

Jermaine Jenas (Image: Dave Howarth/PA Wire)

Kevin Kilbane on people not realising how big Newcastle are:

Rafa Benitez has had to sell him where he expects the club to be in four or five years.

He’s playing for such a big club. The North East - I can’t describe how big it is when you’re there. It’s football or nothing up there.

They’re embracing Ritchie and embracing the club now.

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Matt Ritchie on dropping down a level:

Obviously it crossed my mind about dropping down a level. I’d worked all my life to get into the Premier League but you also dream all of your life about playing in front of big stadiums and loads of fans and that’s what Newcastle offered. The support we’ve had this year has been incredible. At home, 52,000 every week - away, as soon as they go on sale they’re sold out.

The lads are struggling to get tickets for their family and friends!

Ritchie on ‘buying into’ Newcastle:

I think when you move into a club you have to buy into the place as well. You have to make a home here and I have done that.